One choice
by KoriTheEvilEditor
Summary: One choice can change you. One choice can decide your fate. One choice can destroy you. A YuGiOh version of the book Divergent.
1. Chapter 1

**Emi: What are these? *puts on glasses***

**Kori: H-hey... *stumbles into a wall* m-my glasses...**

**Emi: Woah! You really can't see!**

**Kori: No shit Sherlock!**

**Emi: But my names not Sherlock? Or is it? *gasps* MY LIFE IS A LIE!**

**Rasa: *sigh* Please read and review...**

One Choice Character List

_Okay, so I am doing a Yu-Gi-Oh version of the Divergent Trilogy. So I think you need to know who's who so instead of a chapter I'm doing a character list. You can read it if you want or just skip to the next chapter, your call._

Tris - Ryou

Caleb - Ayame

Tris' mother(Natalie) - Ryou's mother (Natalie) _I don't know Ryou's mothers real name but if you know just tell me, please._

Tris' father - Ryou's father _Again, clueless on name's here and if it is Shen that names already taken._

Marcus - Shen

Tobias - Bakura _I'm gonna stick with the whole Four thing here. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then either read this or the book._

Christina - Anzu

Will - Yami

Edward - Marik _The evil one_

Myra - Malik _The good one_

Al - Joey

Peter - Kieth

Drew - Tristan

Molly - Mai

Eric - Zigfreid

Max - Pegasus

Jeanine - Ishizu

Uraih - Mokuba

Zeke - Seto

Tori - Mana


	2. Chapter 2

**Kori: Emi, what are you doing?**

**Emi: *smoking a pipe* Who is this 'Emi' you speak of? I am Sherlock and I shall solve all of Englands crimes!**

**Kori: But we're not even in England!**

**Emi: *le gasp* What is this madness?!**

**Kori: Oh, yeah and everytime I use a line from the book I'll end it like this.***

One Choice Chapter One

There is only one mirror in my house. It is hidden behind a sliding panel on the wall except for once every three months, when my mother cuts my hair.

My mother stood behind me, scissors in hand. Snippets of white hair fall into a ring on the ground. She puts down the scissors and gathers the chin length hair and begins to put it under my cap.

I glance in the mirror at her, admiring her focus. She is well-practiced in the art of losing herself, though I can't say the same for myself.

My eyes run down the mirror from her face to mine - out of curiosity rather than vanity. A person appearance can change a lot in three months.

The face staring back at me is thin with wide round eyes and a narrow nose. I still look like a child, though sometime in the last few months I turned sixteen. The other factions celebrate birthdays, but we don't, it would be self indulgent.*

My mother succeds in getting my hair under the cap and her eyes meet mine in the me but instead of scolding me,she smiles. I frown, wondering why she doesn't scold me for staring at myself.

"It's a big day today, isn't it." she says.

"Yes."

"Nervous?"

I glance at myself again. Today, I will take an aptitude test to show me which of the five factions I belong in. And then at the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow I will decide on a faction. I will decide whether to stay or abandon my family forever.

"No, the tests don't change our choices."

She smiles. "Let's eat breakfast."

"Thank you for cutting my hair."

She kisses my cheek as she once again hides the mirror. My mother could be beautiful in a different world. She is thin, with high cheekbones, long eyelashes and long hair that is wavy when she lets it down at night. Sut, of course, she has to hid that in Abnegation.

We go to the kitchen, where my sister has made breakfast and my father reads the newspaper as he pats my head. These mornings make my feel guiltiest for wanting to leave.

The exhust from the bus clogs the air and the shaking of the wheels on the uneven road throws me from side to side.

My older sister, Ayame, stands in the aisle, gripping the railing tightly. Though we are siblings, we don't look alike. She has our fathers dark hair and mothers green eyes and dimpled cheeks. When she was younger, the features looked strange, but now I think if she wasn't in Abnegation, the boys at school would stare.

She also has inherited my mother's talent for selflessness, giving his seat to a Candor man. The man wears the usual Candor colors of black and white. Candor values honesty and sees the truth as black and white, so that is what they wear.

As we near the heart of the city, the roads begin to smooth out. The bus passes under the elevated train tracks. I have never been on the train though, only the Dauntless ride them.

Ayame's face is expressionless and her eyes shift around the bus as she tries only to see others and forget herself. Candor values honesty, but Abnegation values selflessness.

The bus finally comes to a stop and I get up. As I exit the bus, I stumble and flail out, gripping Ayame's arm to steady myself. In front of us is the Upper Levels school building, the oldest school in the city. Like the other nearby buildings, it is made of glass and steel. A large metal statue stands tall in front of the doors. The Dauntless climb this after school, daring each other to go higher and higher. Last year, one fell and broke her leg. I was the one that got the nurse.*

"Aptitude tests today," I say to my sister as we enter the school.

She nods, continuing to stare ahead.

"You aren't worried?"

We stop where we must split up to go to our seperate classes, which are all halved today because of the aptitude tests. She looks at me, an eyebrow raised. "Are you?"

I almost tell her I have been worried for weeks, but stop myself in time. "Not really."

She turns away. "Have a good day then."

The hallways feel smaller as I make my way to class. I try to keep my head down, but a Erudite boy shoves me from behind, knocking me to the ground. "Outta my way,Stiff," he sneers.

My cheeks are pink as I dust myself off. Lately, the Erudite have been releasing antagonistic reports about Abnegation,which now makes our gray clothes, plain hairstyle and unassuming demeanor a target. I fix my white hair back into my cap, trying to ignore the stares my hair color always earns and staring out the window. I watch the Dauntless children jump off of the moving train, like always.

My father calls the Dauntless "hellions."* Their faction are the gaurds of our city, with their black clothes, piercings and tattoos.

I should wonder what bravery has to do with a metal ring in your face, but instead I cannot help but watch them wherever they go.*

I stare at the mass of dark clothed people, flying through the air from the train. A boy quickly regains his balance and wraps his arm around a girl next to him.

I turn away, shaking my head. There is no point in watching them. Instead, I once again begin to make my way to class.

**Emi: IT WAS THE BUTLER!**

**Kori: What?**

**Emi: The butler did it. He ate the last chocolate chip cookie. Therefore, he must be punished to the fullest extent of the law.**

**Kori: But we don't have a butler?**

**Emi: Sure we do!**

**Kori: THAT'S A PENGUIN!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kori: Well, Emi's gonna be gone for a while, she's putting the penguin back in Antarctica.**

**Rasa: So, I will be helping Kori with the author's notes.**

**Kori: How did she get the penguin anyway?**

**Rasa: *shrugs* Either way, KoriTheEvilEditor does not own the characters of YuGiOh or the story Divergent.**

One Choice Chapter Two

I wait for my turn at the test. We sit in the cafeteria, waiting for our names to be called. The testers are mostly Abnegation, though there is a Erudite and a Dauntless because we cannot be tested by someone from our own faction.

I glance at the other factions children. The Dauntless are playing a card game, the Erudite are reading and chatting over newspapers, the Amity are playing some kind of clapping game and the Candor are arguing playfully.

At our table, the Abnegation sit quietly and wait. Every faction is showing exactly what is expected, though I doubt every person enjoys it. But they can no more defy the norm than I can.

Ayame is called and though it may be approriate to wish her luck, I know she doesn't need it. She knows where she belongs. In fact, my earliest memory of her is her scolding me for not giving a little girl my jump rope.

I wish my mind worked the same as hers and my mothers. That I could as easily forget myself as them. I tried to explain this to Ayame, but he just doesn't get it.

I stare at my lap until Ayame gets back. Her face is paler than normal and she wipes her palms on her long skirt. I would ask if I was allowed. But I am not, and she couldn't answer if I did.

"From Abnegation, Susan Black* and Ryou Bakura." As I get up, I can feel a knot expanding in my chest. I follow Susan, my hands shaking so bad I shove them in my pockets to still them. I walk into the designated room, which is lined with mirrors. I glance at my terrified face and then look at the Dauntless woman across from me. She is not as severe as the other Dauntless I have seen.

She is small and tan, with large brown eyes and dark hair. She walks up and turns to the door and it is only then that I see the tattoo inked on the back of her neck. A black and white hawk with a red eye. I want to ask what is signifies. It must signify something.*

I glance at the surrounding mirrors again. Gray clothes cover my body except for my long fingered hands and pale face. Wide brown eyes stared back at me.

A metal chair sits in the middle of the room and I stiffen. "It doesn't hurt," she said reassuringly. "Have a seat. My name is Mana."

I sit and take deep breaths. I try to focus on her face instead of the wires in her hands. "Why a hawk?" I say as she puts an electrode on my forehead.

"I've never met a curious Abnegation before."

I look down, my curiosity a betrayal of Abnegation values.

She smiles though. "In the ancient world, the hawk represented the sun. I figured if I always had the sun on me, I wouldn't be afraid of the dark."

My eyebrows furrow. "You're afraid of the dark?"

She shrugs, "I used to be, but now it's just a reminder of a fear I've overcome."

She hands me a glass of clear liquid. "Drink this."

I frown, "What is it?"

"Can't say, just trust me."

I drink it and my eyes drift close.

I open my eyes to find myself in a different place. It is the cafeteria, but the tables are empty and two baskets rest in front of me. In one is a hunk of cheese and in the other is a long knife.

I hear a woman's voice. "Choose."

"Why?"

"Choose," she simply repeats.

I glance around, but I am alone. "What will I do with the?"

The voice is yelling now. "Choose!"

Stubbornness replaces any fear within me and I cross my arms.

"Have it your way," she says, a sneer evident in her voice.

The baskets disappear. I hear the door creak open and spin around to see a dog walk in. It is huge and black. A low growl sounds as it creeps towards me.

I am not fast enough to run, nor strong enough to tip over a table as a sheild. I remember that dogs can smell fear through a chemical that is created during duress.

I can't run or fight. I shouldn't look it in the eye, that is a sign of aggression. I lower myself to the ground, trying desprately to ignore the sharp teeth inches from my face. Something wet scrapes my cheek and it takes me a moment to realize that the dog is licking me. I sit back in confusion and it lays its head on my lap.

I pet it hesitantly at first, and then smile as it licks me again. I laugh.

Suddenly, there is a child across the room in a white dress. "Puppy," she squeals, running forward. The dog turns and prepares to attack. I jump onto its back and throw it to the ground.

My head hits the ground. The room has changed and I am now on the bus. A man stands in front of me, a newspaper in hand. The word 'murder' is blazing across the front with a picture underneath. The man shoves the picture in my face and taps it with a scabbed finger. "Do you know this guy?" he asks gruffly.

I stare at the picture and feel a tickle of familiarity in the back of my skull. I do know him, I don't know how but I do. At the same time, I can tell that I shouldn't tell the man this. I have to convince him that I don't.

"Do you?" he snarls.

I shrug.

"Well?"

A shudder goes through me. I know its just a test, but my fear is real. "Nope. I've never met him."

He bares his teeth and leans close to my face. I can see scars crisscrossing his cheek and his breath smells like cigarettes. He's not real, I tell myself.

"You're lying." He say. "You're _lying_!"

"I am not."

"I can see it in your eyes!"

I stand as tall as I can. "You can't."

"If you know him, you could save me. You could save me!"

I narrow my eyes, "Well, I dont."

**Emi: I'm back.**

**Kori: So the peguins in Antarctica again?**

**Emi: What's Antarctica, I took him to Pizzaland.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kori: Emi! Get down from there!**

**Emi: From where?**

**Kori: The roof!**

**Emi: What roof?**

One Choice Chapter Three

My eyes snap open. My palms are sweaty and my stomach is clenched with guilt. I turn to look at Mana, who stands behind me. She removes the electrodes from my head, lips pressed together.

I wait for her to say something, but she remains silent. The strange look on her face makes me feel as if I've done something wrong. Is that look because she doesn't want to tell me what a horrible person I am?

She finally speaks. "That...was perplexing. I'll be right back." Then she leaves.

Perplexing?

I curl into a ball and bury my face in my knees. Tears burn behind my eyes but I don't cry. How can you fail a test you aren't allowed to prepare for?

With each passing moment I grow more and more nervous. Sweat collects on my palms and I wipe them on my pants. What if I'm not cut out for any faction? Will I have to live with the factionless? I can't do that! To live with the factionless is not just to live in poverty and discomfort; it is a life divorced from society.

My mother has said that we can't survive alone, but even if we could...we wouldn't want to. Without a faction, we have no reason to live.

I shake my head violently. I cannot think like this. I take a deep breath to stop my shaking hands.

The door opens and Mana returns. She turns a chair around and straddles it. "Sorry about that, Ryou." She sighs and scratches the back of her neck. "Your tests were inconclusive. Usually, during each stage of the simulation one or more factions are ruled out, but in your case ony two factions were eliminated."

My mouth drops open. "Two?" I hear myself ask chokingly.

"If you had shown an automatic distaste for the knife and picked the cheese, you would have been taken to another stage to confirm your aptitude for Amity. That didn't happen, so Amity is out." Mana's fingers tap on the back of her metal chair. "Normally, the simulation would have proceeded in a linear fashion, but your choices didn't allow for even Candor to be ruled out. Because of that I altered the simulation to put you on the bus. And there your insistence on dishonesty ruled out Candor." She reaches over and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. Only Candor tell the truth on that one."

My chest loosens a bit. Maybe I'm not awful.

She taps a black painted nail against her chin. "Though I suppose that's not entirely true. The ones who tell the truth are Candor...and Abnegation."

My eyes widen.

Mana cups her chin with one hand. "On one hand, you threw yourself at the dog to protect the girl which is an Abnegation oriented response...but on the other, when the man on the bus said telling the truth would save him, you still wouldn't tell. Not an Abnegation oriented response. Of course, not running from the dog suggests Dauntless,but so does choosing the knife, which you didn't do. Your intelligent response to the dog indicates Erudite. I don't know what to make of your indecision in stage one-"

"Wait!" I hold up a hand. "You mean you have no clue what my aptitude is?"

"Well...yes and no. My conclusion is that you display equal aptitude for Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. The people who receive this result are..." She bites her lip. "_Divergent..._" She says the last word so quietly I almost don't hear it. She leans closer to me.

"Ryou, under no circumstances should you share this with anyone. It's very important."

"We aren't supposed to share our results," I say quietly. "I know that."

"No." Mana leans even closer. "This is different. You can never _ever_ share this, no matter what. Divergence is extremely dangerous. Understand?"

I nod. But I don't understand. How can inconclusive test results be dangerous?

"Okay." I stand, which makes my head spin but I somehow remain on my feet.

"I think you should go home,"Mana suggests. "You have a lot of thinking to do and waiting with the others might be good for you."

I stare at the floor as I leave, unable to look her in the eye. I don't want to think about this or about the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow.

It's my choice regardless of the test results.

Abnegation. Dauntless. Erudite.

Divergent.

I decide not to take the bus. If I get home early, my father will notice on the home log and I will have to explain. So I walk.

I walk in the middle of the road, because the buses tend to hug the curb so it is safer here. I see places where yellow lines used to be. We don't need them now, what with so few cars.

When I look at the Abnegation lifestyle from the outside, it is beautiful. My family moving in harmony; going to dinner parties where everyone cleans up without being asked; watching Ayame help strangers. I fall in love with this life all over again. But when I live within myself I have trouble. It never feels real.

But, of course, leaving this faction means forsaking my family.

Just past the Abnegation section of the city is a stretch of building skeletons and broken roads that reveal old subways and sewer systems.

This is where the factionless live. Because they failed initiation into their chosen faction, now they must live in poverty, doing the jobs no one else wants to. In return for the work they get food and clothing, but not enough of either.

A factionless man stands in the corner in front of me, wearig clothes that are little more than rags.

He stares at me as I approach. "Excuse me," he rasps. "Do you have anything I can eat?"

I want to ignore him. I want to duck my head and walk away.

'_No_,' I tell myself. I should not be afraid of this man. He needs help and I'm supposed to help him.

"Y-yes," I say, reaching into my bag for the food that I am told to keep there for this exact reason. I offer the man a bag of dried apples.

His hand darts out and grabs my wrist. He smiles crookedly and I notice a gap between his teeth.

"My, don't you have a pretty face," he sneers. "For a boy."

My heart pounds. I try to pull away but his grip tightens.

"Aren't you a little young to be walking around by yourself?"

"I'm older than I look," My eyes narrow. "I'm sixteen."

His horrible grin widens, revealing a large cavity. "Then isn't today special? The day before you _choose_."

"Let go of me," I say. My voice is not mine. _I_ do not sound confident.

I am ready. I see myself hitting the man. I see the apples falling. I hear my footsteps as I run.

But he takes the apples and lets go of my wrist. "Choose wisely, little boy."

**Emi: *crying* You're mean!**

**Kori: How so?**

**Rasa: You threw a bowling ball at her!**

**Kori: And?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yuki: Hi Kori! *holding lunch tray***

**Kori: Hi Yuki! *holding lunch tray***

**Yuki: Have you heard? Emi's sick!**

**Kori: That's sad.**

**Yuki: Too bad. Now she won't be able to post on time.**

**Kori: *drops tray* **

One Choice Chapter Four

I reach my street five minutes before I usually do, according to my watch. It is the only adornment Abnegation allows and only because it is practical. It is simple, like the rest of our clothing. A gray band and a glass face. If I tilt it the right way, I can almost see myself.

The houses on my street are all the same. Grey rectangles with a few windows, crabgrass yards and dull mailboxes. To some, they might be gloomy but to me, the simplicity is comforting.

The reason for the simplicity isn't disdain for uniqueness. Everything - our houses, our clothes, our hairstyles - is meant to help us forget ourselves and to protect us from selfishness. I try to love it.

I sit on the front step and wait for Ayame. It doesn't take long. I soon hear laughter and see my sister. At school we try to remain unnoticed, but at home, the games and jokes start. My natural tendency towards sarcasm is not appreciated, but then again, not much about me is. My snow colored hair matches my pale skin, which draws attention no matter what I do. I stuff it under my cap, but to no avail. Of course, my hair is very strange and sarcasm is always at someone elses expense. Maybe it's better that Abnegation wants me to suppress these qualities about myself. Maybe I can make my act into reality.

"Ryou!" Ayame calls. "What happened? Are you alright?" Susan and her brother, Yugi, are walking with Ayame. They both are looking at me strangely.

I shrug. "I'm fine. Whatever that liquid they gave us was, it made me sick. I'm fine now."

I smile. Susan and Yugi smile back, convinced, but Ayame narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Did you two take the bus today?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Our father had to work late," Yugi says. "He told us we should spend time thinking about the ceremony tomorrow."

I feel nauseated at the mention of the ceremony.

"You're welcome to come over later, if you'd like," Ayame says politely.

"Thank you," Yugi smiles at Ayame.

Susan glances at me. She and I have been noticing the tentative flirting between the two. Ayame watches Yugi walk away and I grab her hand to snap her out of it. We walk into the house and she stops me, her eyebrows drawn together. She looks more like my mother than ever.

In that moment, I can see her living how my mother did: being in Abnegation, getting a job, marrying Yugi, having a family. It is wonderful.

I may not be here to see it.

"Will you tell me the truth now?" she asks me.

"I'm not supposed to say and your not supposed to ask."

Her eyes narrow. "All those rules you bend and you can't bend this one? Not even for something this important?"

In the distance, there is a train whistle. Like the Dauntless are calling me to them.

I sigh. "Just...please don't tell our parents what happened."

She purses her lips, then nods.

It is my turn to cook, so I make my way to the kitchen.

Ayame joins me and I grit my teeth. I cannot help but be irritated by her natural, inborn selflessness.

When my parents get home, dinner is ready and the table is set. My father kisses Ayame on the head, then me. Other people think he is too opinionated, but he is also loving. I try to see the good. I try.

"How was the test?" he asks.

"Fine," I say. I couldn't be Candor, I lie to easily.

"I heard there was an upset with one of the tests," my mother says.

"Really?" my father says. A problem with an aptitude test is rare.

"I don't know much, but Erin told me that something went wrong, and the results had to be reported verbally. Apparently,the student got sick and was sent home early." She shrugs. "Did you two hear about that?"

"No," Ayame smiles. She couldn't be Candor either.

As we eat, my mother puts down her fork. "Tell me." She takes my fathers hand. I try not to stare at the intertwined fingers. My parents love each other, but physical contact in public is rare. They have taught us to be wary of it, and so I have been since I was young.

"Tell me what's bothering you?" she says.

I stare at my plate. How could I not have noticed his frown and sagging posture?

"Work was difficult today," he says. "Well, really, Shen had the bad day. I shouldn't lay claim to it."

Shen is my fathers coworker. They are political leaders, two of the fifty city council members. Shen is one of the more influential members.

"Is this about th report Ishizu Ishtar released?" my mother asks. Ishizu is Erudite's sole representative, selected based on her I.Q.

I look up. "A report?"

Ayame glances at me. We aren't supposed to speak at the dinner unless spoken to.

"Yes." My father narrows his eyes. "Those arrogant, self-rightous-" He stops himself. "Sorry. But she released a report attacking Shen's character."

"What did it say?" I ask.

"Ryou," Ayame whispers sternly.

I look down, my cheeks hot. I don't like to be chatsied, especially by my sister.

"It said that Shen's violence and cruelty toward his son is the reason his son chose Dauntless."

Few people who are born into Abnegation chose to leave it, so we remember when they do. Two years ago, Shen's son, Bakura, left us for Dauntless and Shen was devestated. Bakura was his only child-and his only family. His wife died giving birth to their second child and the infant died minutes later.

I saw Bakura only once. He was even more reserved than the rest of us. His cap covered his hair and was pulled low over his face.

"Cruel? Shen?" my mother gasps. "That poor man. As if he needs to be reminded of his loss."

"Of his sons betrayal, you mean?" my father says coldly. "There will be more reports, I guarantee it."

"Why are they doing this?" I blurt.

My mother looks at me gently. "Why don't you listen to your father, Ryou?"

I duck my head and let the hair that has fallen from my cap form a curtain in front of my face. I am not good enough for this.

"Because we have power and they want it. We should be thankful that we know better."

I know that I will not choose Erudite. I am my fathers son.

After dinner Ayame and I climb the stairs. She stops me. "Ryou, we should think of our family. But we must also think of ourselves."

I stare at her, so shocked by her comment that I can only utter what I'm supposed to. "The tests don'tchange out choices."

She smiles, "Don't they though?"

She walks to her bedroom. I watch the door close before heading into mine. Really, the decision is simple. It will take a great act of selflessness to choose Abnegation. It will take a great act of bravery to choose Dauntless.

The two qualitites struggle within me and only one can win.

**Kori: WRITE! WRITE! *shoving laptop in Emi's face***

**Rasa: Please let her rest!**

**Yuki: Everyone review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kori: Where's that damn manuscript!?**

**Yuki: Emi's still in the hospital!**

**Rasa: Besides, this is your story!**

**Yuki: Thats right! Get to work!**

One Choice Chapter Five

The bus to the Choosing Ceremony is crowded with gray clothed people. Sunlight burns into the clouds like a lit cigarette. I will never smoke one because of the close tie to vanity, but a group of Candor smokes in front of the Hub, the tallest building in the city.

I tilt my head back and still cannot see the top of the Hub.

I follow my family into the building and, along with the rest of our faction, climb the stairs. All footsteps fall together in harmony. I could choose this. I could be Abnegation.

But soon my legs are sore and I am again distracted by myself. We must climb twenty flights of stairs to reach the Choosing Ceremony.

We reach to the top and file into the room where I will decide my fate.

On the edge of room stands every sixteen year old in alphabetical order. I stand behind my sister and in front of a girl from Amity.

Our families sit in rows of chairs arranged according to faction. The responsibility for conducting the ceremony rotates by year, so this year Shen will be reading the opening and calling names.

In the middle of the room is a semicircle of huge metal bowls. Each contains a substance that represents each faction: gray stones for Abnegation, water for Erudite, earth for Amity, lit coals for Dauntless, and glass for Candor.

When my name is called, I will walk to the bowls. Shen will hand me a knife. I will cut my hand and drip my blood into the bowl of my chosen faction.

My blood on the stones. My blood sizzling on the coals.

My mother hugs me for a long time before she sits with my father. "I love you. No matter what," she whispers.

I frown. She knows, else she wouldn't say that.

The room quiets and I stare at a lantern across the room, trying to lose myself in its soft glow.

I hear Shen speaking and glance at the podium. "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in the world."

'Or,' I think,' one of the five ways.'

"Our dependants are now sixteen. They stand on the edge of adulthood and now they must decide what kind of people they want to be. Decades ago our ancestors realized that it is not politics, religion, race or nation that is to blame for a warring world, but rather the human personality. They divided into factions and sought to eradicate what qualities they believed were responsible for the chaos."

What do I believe? I don't know. I don't know!

"Those who blamed aggresion formed Amity."

They are kind and free, but they have never been an option.

"Those who blamed stupidity formed Erudite."

Ruling them out is easy for me.

"Those who blamed dishonesty formed Candor."

I never liked Candor.

"Those who blamed selfishness formed Abnegation."

I blame selfishness; I do.

"And those who blamed cowardice formed Dauntless."

But I am not selfless enough. Sixteen years of trying and I am not enough.

"These five factions have lived in peace, each contributing to society. Abnegation has fufilled our need for selfless leaders; Candor has provided trustworthy lawmen; Erudite has supplied us with intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity has given us understanding caretakers; and Dauntless provides us with protection. But also, in our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life."

The motto from our Faction History Book rings in my head: _Faction before blood._

"This day marks a happy occasion-the day we recieve our new initiates, who will work with us toward a better society and a better world."

There is applause and then the name calling begins. The room is in comstant movement. A new name, a new face, a new knife, and a new choice.

The first person to stumble is a boy named James. He is from Dauntless, but his blood falls on the glass of Candor. He is the first of us to change factions and now he will forever be a traitor to the Dauntless. His family can see him on Visiting Day, a week and a half from now, but they won't because he left them.

"Ayame Bakura."

Ayame accepts the knife and presses it to her palm. She is still, then her hand shoots out and her blood drips into the water.

My eyes widen. My selfless sister, born for Abnegation, Erudite?

The Erudite wear smug smiles and the Abnegation speak in terse whispers.

"Quiet please!" Shen shouts.

The room is silent. My name is next. I must choose Abnegation. I must. But my footsteps falter. If Ayame is not cut out for Abnegation, how can I be? But what choice do I have? I have to be the child that stays.

Shen hands me my knife. I take it and turn to the bowls. I drag the blade down the palm of my left hand. It strings, but I hardly notice. I take a deep breath.

I thrust my hand out. My blood drips between the bowls. With a gasp I can't contain, I push my hand forward and hear my blood sizzle.

I am selfish. I am brave.

**Yuki: *holding a whip* Get to work!**

**Kori: Where'd you get that whip?**

**Yuki: Thats my secret...*wink-wink***


	7. Chapter 7

**Yuki: Mwahahah! Get to work!**

**Kori: Leave me alone!**

**Rasa: Shhh...you'll wake-**

**Mitsu: What the hell is goin' on out here?**

One Choice Chapter Six

My eyes are on the floor. I stand behind the Dauntless-born initiates. They are taller than me. The last girl chooses Amity. I glance sideways at my parents. My fathers eyes burn into mine with a look of accusation. My mother is smiling.

I look around the Dauntless. The Erudite boy next to me is pale and shaking. What will happen to us at the Dauntless headquarters?

The Dauntless head toward the stairs and break into a run. Whoops, shouts and laughter surround me and dozens of feet thunder in different rythms.

I am breathless as we exit te building. The Dauntless spread out across the street, blocking off the bus.

A train horn blares and I see the Dauntless begin to pile in.

Soon, everyone but the transfers are on the train. I run alongside the train car for a few steps and throw myself sideways. I cling to a handle, not strange enough to pull myself in. A Candor girl helps me in.

"Thank you,"I gasp.

A Erudite boy pumps his arms and stumbles. He puts his head in his hands as we sail away.

I feel uneasy. He is factionless now. It could happen at any moment.

"You alright?" the Candor girl asks me. She is tall with short brown hair and fair skin. Pretty.

I nod.

"I'm Anzu," she says, holding out her hand.

I haven't shaken a hand in a while. Abnegation greet one another be bowing heads. I uncertainly take her hand and shake it twice.

"Ryou," I say.

"Do you know where we're going?" she says, yelling over the wind. I sit down.

Anzu looks at me strangely.

"A fast train means wind. Wind means falling out. Get down," I tell her.

She sits next to me and leans against the wall.

"I guess we're going to Dauntless headquarters. I don't know where that is..."

Anzu grins. "Does anyone? It's like they popped out of a hole in the ground."

I watch the city rush by outside the train and think of Ayame.

Did she always know she would choose Erudite? How did I not notice?

What a good actor she was. I feel sick to my stomach. Even though I left them too, at least I was no good at acting. They all knew I wasn't selfless.

"They're jumping off!" Anzu yells.

I glance up and see that she is right. The Dauntless are leaping out onto a passing rooftop. The train is seven stories up.

The idea of jumping from a moving train onto a rooftop, knowing there is a gap between the edge of the rooftop and the edge of the track, is nauseating. I stand and stumble over to the line of transfers.

A blonde Candor girl stands next to me, glancing out the door. "We have to jump out too, then," she says.

A Candor boy near her scoffs," Because that makes perfect sense, Mai. Leap off a train onto a roof."

"It's what we signed up for, Keith," the girl, Mai, points out.

"I'm not doing it," an Amity boy says. His eyes water.

"You have to," Anzu says. "You'll be fine."

"No I won't! I'd rather be factionless than dead!" He sits against the wall, shaking his head.

I don't agree with him. I would rather be dead than empty, like the factionless.

Anzu turns to me and grabs my hand. I stiffen and am about to tell her I don't need help.

"Sorry," she says. "I just...can't do it unless someone drags me."

I nod and move to stand at the edge of the car. The roof approaches rapidly. "One...two...three!" I shout and we jump.

I am weightless for a moment and then I slam into the ground. Pain shoots through my shins and I am sent sprawling across the rooftop.

Anzu lets go of my hand. She is laughing. "That was fun," she says. I brush bits of rock from my cheek. Then I hear a wail.

There is a Dauntless girl on the edge of the roof, looking over the side and screaming. A Dauntless boy stands behind her, holding her waist to keep her from falling.

"Calm down, calm down," he says.

I step forward and look over the ledge. A girl is on the pavement below us; limbs bent at akward angles and her hair fanned around her head. Not everyone made it. Even the Dauntless aren't safe.

I turn away. I cannot cry in front of these people. "One...two...three..." I whisper and I move on.

My elbow stings. I pull up the sleeve of my gray shirt and am thankful I am not bleeding.

"_Scandalous_! A Stiff's flashing some skin!"

I look up. "Stiff" is slang for Abnegation and I am the only one here. Keith is pointing at me and smirking. My face burns and I drop my sleeve.

"Listen up! My name is Pegasus! I am a Dauntless leader!" shouts a man standing on the ledge. He has white hair that falls to his shoulders. "Several stories below us is the entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here."

"You want us to jump off a ledge?" asks a Erudite boy with tan skin and blonde hair. His mouth falls open.

"Yes." Pegasus looks amused.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?"

Pegasus shrugs. "Who knows?"

The crowd splits in half, giving the initiates a clear path. I glance around and everyone is looking everywhere but Pegasus.

I am proud. It may get me in trouble, but today it makes me brave. I walk to the ledge.

Max moves aside. Wind whips through my clothes as I step up to the edge. I can't see the bottom.I know this is just a scare tactic and that knowledge is the only thing that makes me able to step onto the edge.

I can't back down now. I untuck my shirt and pull it over my head, taking my cap off with it. Underneath is a gray T-shirt that is tighter than the rest of my clothing and no one has ever seen me in it before. My snowy hair falls slightly past my chin, longer than my mother normally cuts it.

I ball the fabric and look over my shoulder. I throw it at Keith as hard as I can. It hits him in the chest. I hear catcalls behind me.

I don't think. I just jump.

I surge toward the ground. Every muscle in my body tenses and my heart is pounding so fast it hurts. The darkness swallows me.

I hit something. It gives way beneath me. The wind is knocked out of me and I wheeze.

It is a net. I let out a shaky and slightly hysterical laugh.

I see a few hands, so I grab one and pull myself off. I stumble and would have hit the ground if he hadn't caught me.

"He" is the young man attached to the hand I grabbed. He has pale skin and white hair like mine, though his hair is is halfway down his back and wild. His eyes are dark brown and framed by thick lashes.

He grips my arms and sets me up right.

"Thank you," I say.

We are on a platform ten feet above the ground and surrounded by an open cavern.

"Can't believe it," a girl behind him says. She has a dark hair and three silver rings through her right eyebrow. "A Stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of."

"There's a reason she left them, Lauren*" he says. His voice is deeper than mine. "What's your name?"

I am tongue tied for a second. I have no idea why. "Ryou," I say once my voice is back.

"Ryou," Lauren repeats. "Make the announcement, Four."

The boy - Four -looks over his shoulder. "First jumper, Ryou!"

A crowd materializes, cheering.

I feel a hand between my shoulder blades. It is Four. "Welcome to Dauntless."

**Kori:Ugh...**

**Yuki: It hurts to breathe!**

**Rasa: I told you to keep it down.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Emi: Guess who's back...**

**Rasa: Back again...**

**Kori: I am back!**

**Emi: Burn a friend!**

**Kori: Wait, what!?**

**Rasa: AHHHHHH!**

**Kori: Emi! No!**

One Choice: Chapter 7

When all the initiates stand on solid ground again, Lauren and Four lead us down a narrow tunnel. It is dark except for a few lanterns.

The Erudite boy in front of me stops abruptly, and I run into him.

"This is where we divide," Lauren says. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour."

She walks away and more than half of the initiates follow her, leaving only nine of us. I watch as they vanish into the shadows.

I look around at the other transfers. I am the only Abnegation and the only Amity never got off the train. The rest are Erudite and Candor.

Four clears his throat and we all look at him. "Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks I will be your insructor. My name is Four."

Anzu asks,"Four? Like the number?"

Four looks at her. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

"No."

"Good. We'll be going to the Pit-"

Anzu snickers. "Clever name."

Four walks up to Anzu and leans his face close to hers. His eyes narrow and he just stares at her for a second.

"What is your name?" he asks quietly.

"Anzu," she squeaks.

"Well, Anzu, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction,"he hisses. "Lesson number one: keep your mouth shut. Got that?"

She nods.

Four walks away and the initiates follow him slowly.

"What a jerk," Anzu mumbles.

"He probably just doesn't like getting laughed at," I shrug. I watch him and something about his stillness makes me wary.

We walk into "the Pit."

"Oh, I get it," Anzu whispers.

"Pit" is the best word for it. It is a cavern so huge I can't see the other side from where I stand, at the bottom. Uneven rock walls rise several stories above my head. Built into the stone walls are places for food, clothing, supplies and leisure activities. Narrow paths and steps carved from rock connect them. There are no rails to keep people from falling.

Panes of glass form the roof of the Pit. Blue lanterns dangle above the paths.

People in black are everywhere. A group of children run along a path. I want to scream at them to slow down before they get hurt. I remember the order of Abnegation. My stomach clenches but there is something wonderful about the chaos.

"If you'll follow me," Four says. "I'll show you the chasm."

He seems tame, by Dauntless standards, but as he turns around I see a tattoo peeking out from the collar of his shirt. He leads us to a darker part of the cavern, which thunders with the roar of water.

The floor drops off sharply. Gushing water strikes the wall beneath me and sprays upwards. To my left the water is calmer,but to my right it is white, battling against the rock.

"The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!" Four shouts."A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life."

He leads the group through a hole in the wall into a brightly lit room. The dining we walk in, applause and shouting rings out. Anzu glances at me and smiles. I smile back.

Anzu and I find a mostly empty table and I end up wedged between her and Four. There is a platter of food I don't recognize: circular pieces of meat between slices of bread. I pinch one between my fingers, unsure what to make of it.

Four nudges me with his elbow.

"It's beef," he says. "Put this on it." He passes me a bowl of red sauce.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" Anzu asks, her eyes wide.

"Is that what it's called?" I reply.

"Stiffs eat plain food," Four says.

"Why?" she asks.

I shrug. "Extravagance is self-indulgent."

She smirks. "No wonder you left."

I roll my eyes, "Yeah. Because of the food."

The corner of Four's mouth twitches.

The cafeteria door opens again and a hush falls over the room. A young man walks in. His face is peirced many times and his hair is shoulder length and pink, which might have been a funny color if the coldness of his eyes didn't scare me so much.

"Who's that?" Anzu hisses.

"Zigfreid," says Four. "He's a Dauntless leader."

Zigfreid drops dowm on the other side of Four. "Well, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Four sighs almost inaudibly. "This is Ryou and Anzu."

"Ooh, a Stiff," Zigfreid smirks. "We'll see how long you last."

Words fail me. I want him to stop looking at me.

His fingers tap impatiently on the table. "What have you been doing lately, Four?"

Four lifts a shoulder. "Nothing much."

Are they friends? Everthing Zigfreid has done suggests they are, but Four is tense as a pulled wire. Maybe they're rivals. But how can that be when Zigfreid is a leader and Four is not.

"Pegasus still wants to meet with you,"Zigfreid says.

"You can tell him I'm satisfied with my current position," Four says.

"So he wants to give you a job." Zigfreid's eyes narrow the slightest bit. Maybe he sees Four as a threat to his job. My father says that those who want power and get it live in terror of losing it. That's why we have to give power to those who don't want it.

Four shrugs. "So it would seem."

"And you aren't interested?"

"I haven't been interested for two years."

"Well," says Zigfreid almost smugly. "Let's hope he gets the point." He claps Four a little too hard on the shoulder and walks away.

"Are you two...friends?" I ask Four as soon as Zigfreid is gone.

"We were in the same initiate class. He transfered from Erudite."

All thoughts of being careful around Four leave me. "Were you a transfer too?"

"I thought I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many questions," he says coldly. "Now I've got Stiffs too?"

"It must be because you're so approachable," I say flatly. "You know like a bed of nails."

He stares at me, eyes narrowed, and I stare back. I know he isn't a dog, but the same rules apply. Looking away is submissive. Looking him in the eye is a challenge.

What will happen when the tension breaks?

But he gets up as someone at another table calls his name. "Careful, Ryou."

Four disappears without a word after dinner. Zigfreid leads us down a series of hallways. I have no idea why a Dauntless is responsible for a group of initiates, but maybe its just for tonight.

We walk in silence. No one told us to be quiet but none of us speak.

"For those of you who don't know, my name is Zigfreid. I am one of the five Dauntless leaders and I have volunteered to oversee your training," he says, stepping in front of a wooden door. "Some ground rules. Be in the training room by eight o'clock every day. Training is from eight to six, with a lunch break. After six you can do whatever you'd like. There will be time off between each stage of initiation"

Do whatever I like. In Abnegation, I had to put everyone else first. I don't even know what I like to do.

"Behind this door is where you'll be sleeping for the next few weeks. There are ten beds and only nine of you. We had anticipated that a higher percentage of you would make it this far."

"But we started with twelve," Anzu says. I try to nudge her, but she ignores me. She needs to learn to stay quiet.

"There's always at least one transfer who doesn't make it to the compound," he shrugs. "Anyway, at first we keep the transfers and Dauntless-born initiates seperate but that doesn't mean you are evaluated seperately. At the end, your rankings will be determined in comparison with the Dauntless-born initiates-"

"Rankings?" asks the tan Erudite boy next to me. "Why are we ranked?"

Zigfreid smiles wickedly. "The rankings serve two purposes," he says. "The first is to determine the order in which you will select a job after initiation. There are only a few _desierable_ postitions available."

My stomach tightens. Something bad is going to happen.

"The second purpose," his grin widens. "Is that only the top ten initiates are made members."

I stiffen.

"What?" Christina says.

"Four initiates will be cut at the end of stage one the remainder after the final test."

Ten people will not become members.

I stare at Zigfreid's cruel smile.

My odds, as the smallest initiate, as the only Abnegation transfer, are not good.

"What if we're cut?" Keith asks.

Zigfreid shrugs. "You leave and live factionless."

The tan Erudite boy clamps his hand over his mouth and stiflesa sob. Another Erudite boy who looks a lot like him, though this one has spikier hair, puts a hand on his shoulder insome form of comfort.

I remember the factionless man, but instead of crying I feel colder, harder.

I will become a member.

"But that's not fair," Mai shouts. "If we had known-"

"Then what?" Zigfreid snaps. "You would never have chosen Dauntless? If thats the case, get out now."

He opens the door. "You chose us, now we have to choose you."

I lie in bed and listen to nine people breathing.

I have never slept in the same room as a girl before, but I have no other option except to sleep in the hallway. Everyone else changed into the Dauntless clothing that was provided, but I sleep my Abnegation clothes, which smell like home.

I am used to having my own room. I could see the lawn and the horizon. I slept in silence.

My vision blurs as I think of home and when I close my eyes, a tear slips out. I stifle a sob.

I can't cry. Not here, not now.

It will be fine. I can befriend Anzu, let my hair grow and look at my reflection.

The tears come faster, wetting my cheeks.

It doesn't matter that I may never see my family again. It doesn't matter how much I ache at the memory of my family. It doesn't matter. The flow of tears stem as I calm down.

A strangled sound, followed by a heavy sob, interrupts the breathing. A pillow muffles it, but not enough. They come from a Candor boy, Joey, the toughest looking of all the initiates. He is the last person I expect to break down.

He is in the bunk next to mine. I could reach over and comfort him. Instead I feel disgusted. Someone who looks so strong shouldn't act so weak. Why can't he keep his crying quiet like the rest of us?

I swallow hard. I roll over and grit my teeth.

This is why I can't go home. I wouldn't belong among those people who care without trying. I gather my pillow around my ears to block out Joeys crying and fall asleep with a circle of moisture pressed against my cheek.


	9. Chapter 9

**One Choice chapter 8**

"This morning you will learn how to shoot a gun. After lunch you will learn how to win a fight." Four presses a gun into my palm and keeps walking.

I am still blinking sleep from my eyes. My body feels heavy.

"Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you accordingly. The stages are not weighed equally so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time."

I stare at the gun. It feels dangerous.

"Each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. Stage one is primarily physical; stage two is primarily emotional; and stage three is primarily mental."

"But what..." Keith yawns. "Does firing a gun have to do with...bravery?"

Four flips the gun in his hand, presses it to Keith's forehead and clicks a bullet into place. Keith freezes in mid-yawn.

"Wake. Up," Four snaps. "You are holding a loaded gun you idiot. Act like it."

He lowers the gun. Keith's cheeks turn red.

Four continues down the line. "And to answer your question...you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." He stops at the end and turns. "Watch closely."

He holds the gun with both hands and aims at the target. He fires andthe bang hurts my ears. The bullet went through the middle.

I turn towards my own target. The gun is heavy and akward. I lift it and squeeze the trigger, cringing away from the gun. The recoil sends the gun towards my face and I stumble. I missed.

I fire again and again and none of the bullets come close.

"Statistically speaking," the Erudite boy next to me-his name is Atem- says, grinning. "You should have hit the target at least once by now. Even by accident." He has tri-colored hair and violet-crimson eyes.

"Is that so?" I say without inflection.

"Yup," he grins. "I think you're actually defying nature."

I grit my teeth. If I can't master the first task they give us, how can I hope to make it through stage one?

I squeeze the trigger. My hands jump back but my feet stay still and a bullet hole appears at the edge of the target.

"Told ya," Atem says in a sing-song voice.

I smile a bit.

It takes me five rounds to hit the center of the target and a rush fills me when I do. I feel awake. I feel powerful.

Maybe I do belong here.

By the time we go to lunch, my arms throb and my fingers are hard to straighten. Anzu invites Joey to sit with us. I try not to look at him.

"Oh, come on. You don't remember me?" Anzu asks Joey. "We were in Math together just a few _days_ ago. And I am _not _ a quiet person."

Joey shrugs. "I slept through Math. It was first hour!"

My thoughts drift back to the aptitude tests. When Mana said that being Divergent was dangerous, I felt like it was branded on the side of my face. Like if I turned the wrong way, someone would see it. What if I let my gaurd down and something terrible happens?

Anzu's hand in front of my face snaps me out of my thoughts. "Ryou," she says. "You in there?"

"What? Yes. What is it?"

"I asked if you've had any classes with me. No offense, but I probably wouldn't remember you. The Abnegation all look the same to me."

I stare at her.

"Sorry, am I being rude?" she asks. "I'm used to just saying whatevers on my mind. Mom used to say politness is deception in pretty packaging."

I laugh a bit.

"Can I sit here?" asks Atem, hovering over an empty seat.

"What about your Erudite buddies?" Anzu says.

"They aren't my buddies," Atem says, sitting. "Besides, Marik and Malik are dating and I'd rather not be a third wheel."

Marik and Malik sit two tables away. Malik pauses to kiss Marik. I watch them. I have only seen a few kisses in my life.

Marik turns and presses his lips to Maliks. I hiss and look away. Part of me waits for them to be scolded. Another part wonders how it would feel to have someones lips against mine.

"Do they have to be so _public_?" I say.

"They just kissed," Joey frowns. "It's not like they're stripping."

"A kiss isn't something you do in public.

Joey, Atem and Anzu give me a knowing smile.

"What?"

"Your Abnegation is showing," says Anzu. "The rest of us are all right with a little public affection."

"I'll...just have to get used to it," I say.

"Or you can stay frigid," says Atem playfully. "You know, if you want."

Anzu throws a roll at him. "Don't be mean. Frigidity is in his nature. Like being a know-it-all is in yours."

"I am not _frigid_!" I exclaim.

"Don't worry," says Atem. "It's endearing. Look you're all red."

My face gets hotter. Everyone laughs and soon I join in.

It feels good to laugh again.

After lunch, Four leads us to a different room. It's huge with a circle painted in the middle and a chalkboard on the left wall. Our names are listed in alphabetical order. Hanging at three foot intervals are faded punching bags.

We line up behind them and Four stands in the middle.

"As I said this morning, you will learn how to fight," Four says. "The purpose of this is to prepare you to respond to respond to threats and challenges- to survive as a Dauntless."

I can't think of life as a Dauntless. I can only think about making it through initiation.

"Today we will learn technique and tomorrow you will start to fight each other. I recommend you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast get hurt."

Four demonstrates a few punches, first against the air, then on the punching bag.

Like with the gun, I need a few tries to figure out how to hold myself and how to move. The kicks are difficult and the punching bag stings my hands and feet.

Four wanders around the room and comes to a stop in front of me. My stomach tightens as his eyes look overme scientifically.

"You don't have much muscle," he says," which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them."

Suddenly, he presses a hand to my stomach. His fingers are so long that, though the heel of his hand touches one side of my ribcage, his fingertips still touch the other side. My heart is trying to escape from my chest and I stare at him, wide-eyed.

"Never forget to keep tension here," he says quietly.

Four turns and walks away. I feel the pressure of his hand for a few seconds. I take a deep breath and keep practicing.

When it's time for dinner, Anzu nudges me with her elbow.

"I'm surprised he didn't break you in half," she says, wrinkling her nose. "He scares the hell out of me. It's that quiet voice of his."

"Yeah. He's..." Quiet, remarkably self-possessed. But I am not afraid that he will hurt me. "...definitly intimidating."

Once we reach the Pit, Joey announces," I want to get a tattoo."

"Of what?" Atem asks from behind us.

Joey shrugs. "I don't know. I just want to feel like I've actually left my old faction. Stop crying about it." When we stay quiet he adds. "I know you've heard me.

"Yeah," Anzu says playfully. "Quiet down, will you. Anywho, I think you're right. We're half in, half out and we need to look the part."

She looks at me.

"No. I will not cut my hair," I say," or dye it a strange color." It's strange enough. "Or peirce my face."

"How about your belly button?" Anzu says.

"Or your nipple?" Atem laughs.

I groan.

The Pit is swarming with people. Anzu grabs me by the arm and says that we'll meet Joey and Atem at the tattoo parlor.

She drags me to a clothing store and places me in a dressing room.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I ask. "I'm not wearing gray anymore."

"They're ugly and gigantic. Let me help," she pleads. "If you don't like it, you don't have to wear it."

Ten minutes later, I am in tight, dark clothes. The pants are denim, not leather like the first pair she gave me, which I refused. They are not suffocating, but they are tighter than I'm used to. The shirt is black and sleeveless. Goosebumps appear on my bare arms.

She tries to put eyeliner on me, but I drew the line.

I finally gather the courage to stare at myself in the mirror. As I do, I inwardly cringe, expecting to be scolded. It will be difficult to break these habits, but I will. I will find new habits, new thoughts, new rules. I will become something else.

The dark clothes stand out against my pale skin and white hair and my eyes appear darker. This isn't like seeing myself for the first time, it's like seeing someone else. I am the boy who was seen in stolen glances and who kept quiet at the dinner table. This is someone new.

"See?" she says. "You're...striking."

I smile at her.

"Like it?"

I nod. "I look like...a different person.

She laughs. "That a good thing or a bad thing?"

I look at myself again. "A good thing." I shake my head. "Sorry, I've never been allowed to look at myself for this long."

"Really?" Anzu asks.

I shrug. "Let's go watch Joey get tattooed."

At home, my mother and Ayame picked up nearly identical stacks of clothing every six months or so. It's easy to allocate resources when everyone gets the same thing, but in Dauntless it's more varied. Every Dauntless gets a certain amount of points to spend each month and the outfit costs three of them.

Anzu and I race to the tattoo parlor and Joey is in the chair already. A small man wit more ink than skin is drawing a spider on his arm.

I wander around the room, looking at the artwork on the walls. I have never been in a decorated room before and I feel as if I could be lost in here for hours without realizing it. A picture of hawk on the wall reminds me of Mana'a tattoo. Beneath it is a sketch of a bird in flight.

"It's a raven. Pretty, right," a voice behind me says.

I turn to see Mana behind me. "Hey," she says. "Never thought I'd see you again. Ryou, right?"

I nod. "Do you work here?"

"Yeah. Took a break for aptitude tests." She taps her chin. "You were the first jumper weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Good job."

"Thanks. Listen- can we talk sometime..."

"I helped you as much as I could," she whispers. "You'll have to go it alone."

I frown.

"Want a tattoo?"

I stare at the bird sketch. I never intended to get peirced or tattooed, it will only be another wedge between me and my family.

But I remember what Mana said about her tattoo representing a fear she overcame.

"Yes," I say. "Three of these flying birds."

I touch my collarbone, marking the path of their flight toward my heart. One for each family member I left behind.


	10. Chapter 10

**One Choice chapter nine**

"Since there are an odd number of you, one of you won't be fighting today," Four announces.

My eyes skim the list of names. The space next to mine is blank.

I sigh in relief.

"Oh no," Anzu says. "Just look who I'm up against."

She and I ate breakfast together and she shielded me from the rest of the dormitory as I changed. I've never had a friend like her before. I've never had a friend before, period.

I look for Anzu's name. Written next to it is "Mai."

"Keith's female minion." Anzu points to Keith, Tristan and Mai. "Those three have been inseparable since they crawled out of the womb. I hate them."

Atem and Joey are the first to fight. This won't take long…

"What's wrong with them?" I ask.

"Keith is pure evil. When we were kids, he would pick fights with people from other factions and when an adult came to break it up, he'd cry and make up some story about how the other kid started it. And, of course, because we were Candor we couldn't tell a lie." She laughs sarcastically. "Tristan is just his sidekick. I doubt he has an independent thought in his head. And Mai…she's the kind of her person who fries ants with a magnifying glass just to watch them flail around."

Joey punches Atem hard in the jaw. Atem stumbles. He recovers quickly and sweeps Joey's legs out from under him.

Joey scrambles to his feet.

They circle hesitantly, waiting for Four to call the fight off.

Zigfried steps forward and shouts, "Do you think this is a leisure activity? Should we break for naptime? Fight each other!"

"Is it scored? When does the fight end?" Joey asks.

"It ends when one of you is unable to continue," Zigfreid says.

"According to Dauntless rules," Four says," one of you could also concede."

Zigfreid narrows his eyes at Four. "Those were the old rules. According to the _new_ rules, no one concedes."

"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others," Four replies.

"A brave man never surrenders."

They glare at each other. I feel like I am looking at two different kinds of Dauntless- the honorable kind and the ruthless kind. But I know that it's Zigfreid who has the authority.

"What's the point of beating him up?" Joey says," We're in the same faction."

Atem grins, "You think it's gonna be that easy?" He holds up his fists, looking determined.

He is able to dodge Joey for a few minutes before Joey lands another hard punch to the jaw.

The light leaves Atem's violet-crimson eyes and he slumps to the ground.

Joey pokes Atems cheek. After a few moments, Atem blinks, dazed.

"Get him out of here," Zigfreid sneers with a cruel smile. "Up next- Mai and Anzu."

Four steps forward and helps Atem out.

I feel nervous once Four is gone.

Anzu looks scared as she steps into the circle. Mai smirks evilly when the fight starts and kicks Anzu in the side. Anzu stumbles and lands a punch to Mai's side. Mai grits her teeth, but dives at Anzu and knocks her down. She punches Anzu again and again.

Blood runs down Anzu's face.

I pray for her to fall unconscious, but she doesn't. She thrashes free and crawls away.

Mai kicks her over and over.

"Stop," Anzu wails." Stop!...I'm done."

Zigfreid walks slowly to where Anzu is. "I'm sorry, what did you say? You're done?"

Anzu pushes herself to her feet.

"Come with me," he says. If he had yelled, I might not have felt so nauseated.

He grabs her and drags her out the door.

We follow.

We are led to the chasm. Zigfreid shoves Anzu against the railing. "Climb over it," he says.

"What?"Anzu asks, wide-eyed.

"Climb. Over. The. Railing," Zigfreid says slowly. "If you can hand over the chasm for five minutes, I will forget your cowardice. If you can't, I will not allow you to continue initiation."

The railing is cold and slippery. Anzu may not be able to hold on. Either she decides to be factionless, or she risks death.

"Fine," she says, her voice shaking.

She pulls herself over and slowly lets herself drop. She grips the bar tightly.

For the first minute and a half, she is fine, but then the river sprays against the wall. Her face hits the barrier and she slips so that she is holding on by her fingertips.

I want to help her, but what will Zigfreid do to me if I do? Will I let her die or will I risk becoming factionless? Which is worse?"

My parents would have no problem answering that question.

But I am not my parents. Anzu's face crumples and she sobs. Another wave hits her and one hand slips off of the railing.

"Come on Anzu," Joey shouts. "You can do this. Grab it!"

Would I even be strong enough to hold on to her? Would it be worth it to try if I knew I'm to weak to do any good?

Excuses.

Joey's voice grows louder. Four minutes have passed.

"Come on," I whisper. I clear my throat. "One minute left!" I shout along with Joey.

Anzu's arms shake as if in an earthquake.

More water slams into her and both hands fall off. I hear a scream and realize it is mine.

But she doesn't fall. She grabs the bars of the barrier.

Joey's watch reads 5:00.

"Time's up," he spits at Zigfreid.

Zigfreid takes his time looking at his watch. My stomach is twisted into knots.

"Fine," he says. "You can come up, Anzu."

Joey walks to the railing.

"She has to do it on her own," Zigfreid growls.

"No she doesn't," Joey says. "She did what you said." He grabs Anzu's hand. I run forward and, as I suspected, am too weak to do much. Once she is high enough Joey and I haul her over. We all collapse and stare at each other, catching our breath.


End file.
